BellaSugar

Madonna Is Successful Because of Her... Hair?!

BellaSugar — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:43:29 -0800

The Super Bowl commercials are starting to hit the Web, and drugstore shampoo brand Sunsilk has just debuted its ad. It features Marilyn Monroe, Shakira, and Madonna, and the idea is that "Life Can't Wait." As a shampoo commercial, it's a little perplexing. Are we to believe that good hair is the impetus for their success? Don't get me wrong, a great cut and color can do wonders, but I hardly think Madonna became an international superstar because of her hair.

Who Do These Famous Beauty Marks Belong To?

BellaSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:00:58 -0700

These three mystery ladies have made the most of their moles. They all have gorgeous skin and smiles and have showed us that beauty marks are something to flaunt! Take the quiz to find out which beauty mark belongs to what beauty!

Take the quiz

Bella Donna: Marilyn Monroe

BellaSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:43:03 -0700

Without Marilyn Monroe, there would be no Gwen Stefani. No Christina Aguilera. And certainly no Madonna. It's nearly impossible to overstate the influence that this week's Bella Donna has had on ideas of beauty and glamour. Think of platinum-blonde hair, red lips and a beauty mark... and you think of Marilyn.

One of the reasons Marilyn is so iconic is that she represents both the benefits and pitfalls of fame and glamour. Born Norma Jean Mortenson in 1926, she was shuttled between foster homes as a child before marrying at age 16. While working at a factory, she was spotted by a photographer who helped her start her modeling career. Soon after, she lightened her hair and had her nose slimmed. At age 20, she changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, and after a few bit parts, her movie career began to take off.

To learn more about Marilyn and to see a photo gallery, read more

Marilyn was certainly on top of the A-List of her day, and although her appearance on the inaugural issue of Playboy may have made her more famous, it was her comedic timing that drew the praise of critics. She was hilarious in a series of "dumb blonde" roles, but unfortunately, people confused Marilyn with her characters. She was largely considered merely a dimwitted sexpot, but away from the cameras, she had an intellectual side. She studied Kierkegaard and Goethe, studied with acting coach Lee Strasbourg, and was vocal about her support for racial equality. But Marilyn's story, as I'm sure you know, doesn't end on a happy note. She was married and divorced three times, she suffered from depression, and she became addicted to pills. She died at age 36 of an overdose in 1962.

Marilyn fascinates me not just because she's such a beauty icon, but because of her sadness and vulnerability. She once called herself a "failure as a woman," saying:

I'm a failure as a woman. My men expect so much of me, because of the image they've made of me - and that I've made of myself - as a sex symbol. They expect bells to ring and whistles to whistle, but my anatomy is the same as any other woman's and I can't live up to it.

Browse these photos and I think you'll see that in the midst of Marilyn's beauty and glamour, there was a vulnerability to her. I think that's why she's so intriguing-interpreting her femininity is more complex than you might think.

View 11 Photos ›

Source

I Smell Dead People

BellaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:41 -0800

If you want to smell like Marilyn Monroe, it's well-known that she was a Chanel No. 5 devotee. But what if you just want to smell like her genetic code? Well, now there's a fragrance out there to help you do it. A company in LA has come out with a line of perfumes called Antiquity that it says are supposed to smell like various deceased stars' DNA.

I, personally, was unaware that my DNA smelled any way. But the company says that it's got a "secret process" using hair strands collected from people like Marilyn, Einstein, Elvis, and a ton of others that it uses to make these scents. Which still doesn't at all explain how you could make a fragrance based on genes. What do you think about this? Does the vagueness, secrecy, and appeal to "science" make it sound like a crock, or do you think there's something to this idea?

Reader Review of the Day: Nivea Creme by Nivea

BellaSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Nivea, a brand known for its cool, sleek packaging and body-smoothing contents, while highly regarded in the US, is actually quite popular in Europe. Recently Fallynvogue shared her opinion on Nivea Creme by Nivea, and here's what she had to say:

This product is absolutly beautiful. It's been used since the olden days, and it still is better than any other moisturizer. The blue tin looks nice on any makeup table or dresser. It takes a lot of rubbing it in, but it makes skin very soft. The product smells great. It's flowery and kind of lemony. I like to put a thin layer on my face before going to bed, and I wake up with a glow. And, this moisturizer was Marilyn Monroe's favorite!

Do you have some favorite products you'd like to tell us about, whether it's something you picked up on a vacation in a foreign country, or purchased at your local drugstore? Tell us all about it. Our Product Reviews website has tons of options from which to choose, and you might even be featured on this daily post.

Anna on Late Night, a Twilight/True Blood Crossover, and Bid to Be Buried Above Marilyn!

Molly — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:56:25 -0700

Anna Wintour made headlines when she stopped by Letterman last night to chat about The September Issue. An eBay auction to spend eternity with Marilyn Monroe goes over $4 million, and two of our favorite famous vampires team up for a blood-sucking flick. All that and more on today's PopSugar Rush!

Mind the Gap: 10 Celebs Who Look Great With Gap Teeth

BellaSugar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:00:07 -0700

Every day we're confronted with images of celebrities who've had their teeth capped, veneered, zoom whitened, Invisaligned, and any number of other surgical and chemical processes - smiles that no real person has and that run into the thousands of dollars to create. Which is why it's refreshing when a little bit of naturalness peeps through. There's no case where this is more true than with gap teeth, which, prior to our symmetry and straightness-obsessed age, were a sign of seductive prowess (anybody remember the Wife of Bath in the Canterbury Tales? In Merry Olde England, gap teeth were quite the hot thing- kinda like Marilyn Monroe and Cindy Crawford's moles). And despite the prevailing culture, the ladies I've put together still look sexy as hell, no dentist required. So c'mon, get gappy and check these famous spaces out.

View Slideshow ›

How-To: Work With Your Widow's Peak

BellaSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:00:36 -0700

A widow's peak is a dominantly inherited v-shape that dips down along the hairline. Perhaps one of my best friend's most enduring features is her widow's peak, which lends even more character to her friendly disposition. Do you know anyone with this distinctively cool feature?

Female celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Alyson Hannigan, Fran Drescher, and Milla Jovovich all have widow's peaks, along with Keanu Reeves, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Colin Farrell on the men's front. Perhaps you have this genetic trait, too. If so, here are some tips and techniques for making it work. Just read more.

Let it be: Your widow's peak makes you uniquely you, so why hide it? When choosing a hairstyle, focus on your overall face shape instead, whether it's heart, square, oval, or round.
The true heart: A true heart-shaped face will have a wider forehead, pointier chin, and a widow's peak. In this particular case, choose styles that give volume around the jawline, avoiding cuts that provide fullness around the temples. Also, steer clear of blunt bangs, which can look too severe.
Curly girly: Notice how Marilyn's widow's peak blends in with her curl? Add a few swooping rounded curls in the mix to provide a soft effect.
Hair removal: If you absolutely must create a straighter hairline, avoid shaving, which can leave an obvious stubbly line. Instead, consider tweezing, but don't go overboard.
Do the splits: Your widow's peak might act like a cowlick, causing unwanted splitting along your hairline. To coerce it to behave, start with damp hair and focus the air flow from your blow-dryer down toward the peak, tautly pulling hair over and around it to blend.
Banged up: Side parts and soft, swooping bangs are perfect ways to work with your widow's peak. Also, fun, spiky undercut bangs blend nicely with a descending v hairline, providing a stylish face-framing effect.

Source

Link Time!

BellaSugar — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:00:28 -0700

Soap & Glory goes for the guys - FabSugar UK
Interview with Benefit's twin founders, Jean and Jane - Style.com
Tape makes loose powder last - Makeup and Beauty Blog
This hair plumper actually works! - Lucky
Fight oily skin with these seven tips - Allure

Marilyn Monroe's unseen photos - Jolie Nadine

Source

Drew Barrymore Is Just That Into Being Blonde

BellaSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:00:21 -0800

Next week, He's Just Not That Into You arrives in theaters, and we recently had a quick chat with Drew Barrymore - a beauty chameleon if one ever existed.

Remember the buzz she created with this cotton-candy hairstyle at the Golden Globes? "I’m super inspired by the '60s," she said of the blond bouffant. "[People] like Ann-Margret, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Sharon Tate, those women."

"But going platinum blonde wasn't just a whim," she adds. "I am constantly trying to reinvent myself, and because I’ve been working so much for the past few years on all these projects I have coming out this year, I sort of got lazy and wasn’t thinking - and no one was really looking at me, and it was great," she says of her decision to bleach. "That said, we only have a certain amount of time on this planet and I want to try everything. So get out of your safe zones, dive in, and have fun."

Source